Martinsburg gazette. (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1886-1887, 1887-02-18
ABSlNTHE SLAVES.
Deplorable Effect OF q Most
Pernicious 6tina,lant.
Ingredients Of the Drug. People Who
Take it. The Result Produced.


France and Switzerland, and this sup
position is based upon the fact that
Somebody ct fils. appears amid lot Of
French on the label, with the name
Paris and red seal with French in
scription oinamenting the cork. Swiss
absinthe is said to be the best, bu
whether any Of the good kind ever goe
to this country is unknown. The abb
sinthe is made By pounding up the
leaves and Towering tops Of different
species Of wormwocd and macerating
them in alcohol. After soaking, the
mixture is distilled, q little anise oil IS
added, and the emerald liquor obtained
is the real absinthe. When rumeric and
indigo and blue vitriol enter into its
composition, asst does in authorizations,
then it is really splendid drink. Any
man who would drink it would surely
put an enemy into his mouth to steal
away his brains, but it would be only a
petty larceny, after all. MI
Powerful as a stimulant, it has its cul-
inmates in terrible reaction, and like
every drug, it is rcsorted to, to
cure the evil it has caused, and
eventually enslaves the man or woman
who toys witt it too freely. OF course,
all men do not become slaves to it, as
all men do not become opium fiends who
hit the pipe. But it's bad thing to
be accustomed to. The drip is the
fashionable way to drink it, but fashion
becomes forgotten by the absinthe slave,
and he soon drifts into taking it I'M
diluted and in enormous doses, just as
the morphine victim becomes accustomed
to taking enough Of the sleepy drug to
kill half dozen men, Its terrible re-
suits have never become, in this city, a
matter of scientific observation or of
restrictive legislation, and, judging
from the drinking peculiarities Of Ameri-.
cans, they never will be.
In the eastern cities, however, i'm
ported victims of the drug are often
seen, aid in France, Italy and Switzer-
land it is regarded the greatest curse.
Its use in the army and navy Of France
is prohibited by law. It came into
notice at the time Of the Algcrian war
from 1914 to 1S47, when it was recon-
mended for use by the soldiers in their
liquor as q preventive Of fever. It
developed in Q few years that it was
running the army. Observation BY
medical men resulted in discoveries that
deadly as it vas when pure, it was rem
dered even more SO by authorizations. Its
use in the first pace, impaired the di-
gest.vc organs and spoiled the appetite.
AS necessary consequence, sleeplessness
followed, with all the terrible torture
that that implies The minds Of the abb
sinthc fiends became dcranged; they saw
beautiful visions, such as it is alleged
the hashecsh eaters only know. They be-
came exalted and pitched to a high key,
and then there came the most terrible
depression, ending often in suicide and
oftcner still in imbecility. Loss Of brain
and nerve power, degeneration Of the
muscles and all the moral perYersions
springing therefrom were among its eff
fects.
Physical decay Of the most disgust.
ing kind was noticed in the victims, and
they had to be kept from public view.
These in one generation were not enough,